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LONDON: A 27-year-old man was arrested in connection with the mass stabbings in Britain’s second city, Birmingham, which left one person dead and two seriously injured, police said on Monday (September 7).
The man was arrested on suspicion of murder and seven murder attempts that took place after midnight on Saturday, West Midlands police said.
The suspect was taken into custody in the Selly Oak area of the city around 4 a.m. (3 a.m. GMT) and remained in police custody for questioning.
A 23-year-old man suffered fatal injuries in what was believed to be a random attack, while a man and a woman, aged 19 and 32, are in critical condition in hospital.
“Officers worked from yesterday until the early hours of this morning in an attempt to locate the man we believe responsible for these horrific crimes,” Birmingham Police Chief Steve Graham said.
“Clearly, this is a crucial advance, but our investigation continues.”
The stabbings took place in a nightlife area of Birmingham city center. (Photo: AFP / Oli SCARFF)
The attack occurred at four separate locations in the busy city center between 12.30pm and 2.30pm.
READ: UK police launch murder investigation after man killed and 7 others injured in Birmingham stabbings
One of the areas was in the heart of Birmingham Gay Village, but officers ruled out a hate crime. They also rejected any link to gang violence or terrorism.
“It seems to be random in terms of the people who were attacked,” Graham said. “This is being treated as a homicide.”
Britain has been on high alert after two mass stabbings in London in the past year, in which armed officers shot dead both perpetrators – convicted Islamic extremists who had been released ahead of prison time.
In June, a man was charged with murder after three people were stabbed to death in a park in Reading, west London, in an attack that was being investigated by counter-terrorism police.
Later, six people, including a police officer, were injured in a hotel housing asylum seekers in the Scottish city of Glasgow. Armed police also shot and killed the alleged attacker.
Stabbings in England and Wales were up 6 percent in the year through the end of March, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Birmingham is one of Britain’s most ethnically diverse cities, with a population of over a million, and has had an explosive recent history of gang violence.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Interior Minister Priti Patel sent their condolences to the victims and thanked the emergency services, who declared a “major incident” in response to the attacks.
